FRAME WITHIN A FRAME

Mike Harris shows you how to capture eye-catching compositions by seeking out frames within frames

30 MINS

A frame within a frame is a popular compositional technique that involves framing the main subject of a photo with a natural or man-made object – this could be anything from a window or doorway to an avenue of trees or a row of bushes.

The frame doesn’t need to completely surround your subject, but it should be prominent enough to guide the viewer’s eye straight to the focal point. Frames are a great way to simplify overly busy scenes, or obscure unattractive or boring areas of your images. Our photograph of Bath Abbey above is a good example. The grand building is a beautiful architectural subject, but its size means that it cuts a lonely figure as it protrudes high above everything else in the city, which makes it difficult to compose.

Thankfully a nearby archway allowed us to frame the magnificent structure, and create a much more balanced and interesting composition. The hard part is inevitably finding a suitable frame, particularly if you already have a subject in mind. However, you can search for frames whenever you’re out and about, even if you don’t have your camera with you.

As with other composition techniques, such as leading lines and the rule of thirds, if you practise long enough you’ll start to notice frames within frames everywhere – and with the help of our tips, capturing them will soon become second nature!